The problem has been one of note durations, as I recall, in a number of specific places.

As far as bars 12 and 22 are concerned, you have this pretty well conquered now: the 2nd chords in both of them occur at pretty well the correct time, i.e. the F#-A lasts the right amount of time before you play the G-Bb. You are stretching the duration of those second chords to make time to fit in the Eb-G grace notes that lead to the next bar, and that's OK provided you know you're doing it, in other words provided you are aware that you exercising artistic control, and that although this makes the beginning of bars 13 and 23 technically late, you have decided you would rather do this than make the grace notes sound rushed.

The only real remaining problem now lies with bars 10 and 20. You are not giving yourself time to let the music contained in them say all it wants to, and seem anxious to get to the next bar.The first chords of both bars last the right amount of time, so that the second chords occur at the right time, but you cut these second chords short [by about 25% in bar 10 and 50% in bar 20], so that the beginnings of the next bars come too early [bar 11 by about one 16th note and bar 21 by about two].

I had a listen to your Grieg recording. I have heard it before in my piano studio class, my friend Hunter played it. My teacher said there was a directive on it that said to play it softly. I like your phrasing and your pedal usage instincts serve you here, but IMO you could use the soft pedal the first time, or on the repeat, to vary the dynamics of the refrain.

Sounds good,

Riley

_________________"I don't know what music is, but I know it when I hear it." - Alan SchuylerRiley Tucker

The problem has been one of note durations, as I recall, in a number of specific places.

As far as bars 12 and 22 are concerned, you have this pretty well conquered now: the 2nd chords in both of them occur at pretty well the correct time, i.e. the F#-A lasts the right amount of time before you play the G-Bb. You are stretching the duration of those second chords to make time to fit in the Eb-G grace notes that lead to the next bar, and that's OK provided you know you're doing it, in other words provided you are aware that you exercising artistic control, and that although this makes the beginning of bars 13 and 23 technically late, you have decided you would rather do this than make the grace notes sound rushed.

The only real remaining problem now lies with bars 10 and 20. You are not giving yourself time to let the music contained in them say all it wants to, and seem anxious to get to the next bar.The first chords of both bars last the right amount of time, so that the second chords occur at the right time, but you cut these second chords short [by about 25% in bar 10 and 50% in bar 20], so that the beginnings of the next bars come too early [bar 11 by about one 16th note and bar 21 by about two].

Getting close... About the appoggiature, I prefer them like that. I did play them fast at one point, but did not like it too much.

_________________Richard Willmer"Please do not shoot the pianistHe is doing his best."Oscar Wilde: Impressions of America: Leadville

Getting close... About the appoggiature, I prefer them like that. I did play them fast at one point, but did not like it too much.

Fair enough.

I should have mentioned that the rest of it is pretty good too now, with a tempo that flows nicely without being too fast, and I also like that you have toned down the accents at the beginning and middle of each bar, which you previously overemphasized, making the piece sound almost like a military march.

I relearnt the technique to "separate" the fingers, whih apparently I had forgotten, so that the 2nd and 4th note of the melody in bar 1, for example, is not affected by what the thumb and index fingers of the same hand are doing at the same time.

I have also redone the Schumann, but there is still something there that needs improvement. I probably will post it today. I really hope I can remove the one on the site, which is to me an embarassment. I tried to listen to it the other day but had to turn it off after 30 seconds.

_________________Richard Willmer"Please do not shoot the pianistHe is doing his best."Oscar Wilde: Impressions of America: Leadville

well.....It's all fine except for bars 10 and 20. I don't understand how the two bars with the most simplest rhythm can give you such a hard time. You are not giving enough time to the second quarter note and hence jumping into the next bar too soon. I feel that it disturbs the flow too much. I think I've told you this before, but just tap your foot when you are at this place....two taps and then don't go to the next bar until the foot is coming down again on the first beat of the next bar. I am going crazy? Isn't that the way the bars in question are to be played? Sorry, Richard....but it's not yet ready for the site, unless someone tells me that I'm the one who is wrong here.

richard66 wrote:

I have also redone the Schumann, but there is still something there that needs improvement. I probably will post it today. I really hope I can remove the one on the site, which is to me an embarassment. I tried to listen to it the other day but had to turn it off after 30 seconds.

We can take it down if you want right now.

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

well.....It's all fine except for bars 10 and 20. I don't understand how the two bars with the most simplest rhythm can give you such a hard time. You are not giving enough time to the second quarter note and hence jumping into the next bar too soon. I feel that it disturbs the flow too much. I think I've told you this before, but just tap your foot when you are at this place....two taps and then don't go to the next bar until the foot is coming down again on the first beat of the next bar. I am going crazy? Isn't that the way the bars in question are to be played? Sorry, Richard....but it's not yet ready for the site, unless someone tells me that I'm the one who is wrong here.

I wonder if this is not my former learning that is getting in the way or at least the learning how to play such passages in Mozart, where the resolution was supposet to be lighter and shorter. Obviously an equivalent rest is to be inserted and that might be missing. Does this make sense?

pianolady wrote:

richard66 wrote:

I have also redone the Schumann, but there is still something there that needs improvement. I probably will post it today. I really hope I can remove the one on the site, which is to me an embarassment. I tried to listen to it the other day but had to turn it off after 30 seconds.

We can take it down if you want right now.

It might be a service to PS more than to me if you do.

_________________Richard Willmer"Please do not shoot the pianistHe is doing his best."Oscar Wilde: Impressions of America: Leadville

This shows enormous improvement since your first attempt. It proves how good it is to persevere and not get dispirited by all the criticism. This at last sounds convincing and flowing. With more confidence would, I hope, come a bit more freedom - it's just a little bit straight (though certainly not rigid). The only little nag I can think of is that you could play the LH a bit softer to give the melody more room. That would make it a really good recording. Good job !

Thank you, Chris! Coming from the harshest critic of this piece in previous recordings, this is most gratifying; not because this is revenge , but because it has indeed improved.

What does dispirit me a bit is not so much criticism in itself, but when two people offer different ones and there is no idea which road to take or, as happened once, when supernatural sounds were heard in one of the recordings I submitted.

I feel that while before I was on the threshold of a new phase, I never quite went further, for one reason or another and, when I joined, I was very much going backwards! I have altered my approach and I am not longer concerned with hitting the right notes but with making the notes say something. Incredibly enough by doing this the notes take care of themselves and I feel I make less mistakes than before, though still too many!

_________________Richard Willmer"Please do not shoot the pianistHe is doing his best."Oscar Wilde: Impressions of America: Leadville

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum